18 Tips from a Raw Foodie Rookie

1. Nama Shoyu is really salty. Don’t use it to thin a sauce.

2.  Don’t over-buy or over-make raw foods. Yes, you’re eating a lot of fruits and veggies, which are mainly water, but I guarantee you will make too much food in the beginning.

3. There are a lot of exotic or lesser-known ingredients in raw foods. Try all the ingredients before you start making food, especially if you’ve never tried them before. Not liking one ingredient can ruin your entire meal.

4. Don’t forget about snacks! Having some delicious and raw snacks on hand is the easiest way to kick processed foods out the door and add more raw to your diet! Replacing your regular snacks with raw treats is a great way to start eating raw.

5. Trying to be 100% raw right off the bat, or even 100% raw at all is only setting yourself up for failure and burnout. Take it easy and make small changes over time. Remember- just eat Real, Alive, and Whole.

6. Salad gets boring. Raw has such a variety of recipes and dishes to create. Take advantage of them! We post a bunch at www.Rawcipes.blogspot.com.

7. Don’t go at it alone! Find a friend to try some raw recipes with. There are also tons of online communities that offer constant support. (Try our Facebook at www.Facebook.com/RAWfoodsinc).

8. You’re going to have more energy- find something productive to do with it! Use the extra time to focus on yourself. Maybe try yoga or cleaning those pesky corners of your home?

9.  If your friends won’t stop teasing you about eating “weird” food, feed them raw desserts.

10.  If you start to wonder yourself about why you’re eating “weird” food, eat some raw desserts. May we recommend raw fudge?

11.  It’s not as hard and scary or radical as it seems- I make that promise to you as a pizza lover.

12. Invest in a sharp knife. You’ll need it if you want things to look pretty.

13. Organic foods can be kind of expensive. Print off a copy of the dirty dozen and the clean dozen… The 12 foods with the most pesticides and the twelve with the least pesticides (when conventionally grown). This will give you the best mix for your budget.

14. If you don’t have a dehydrator, put your conventional oven on the lowest temperature possible and keep the door cracked open to vent. This isn’t the most eco-friendly way to dehydrate, and the food will probably be cooked at a little over 115 degrees, but this is a good technique to gauge your interest in dehydrating before investing in the proper appliances.

15. If you don’t have a Vita-Mix Blender, soak all nuts before blending to achieve a smoother texture.

16. Raw nuts and trail mixes are great for on-the-go snacks.

17.  Nutritional yeast and baking yeast ARE NOT the same thing. Nutritional yeast is healthy and can be added to dishes for a cheesy taste.

18.  Enjoy your health!!